Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Beach Bear at the Bay and Bargara

I love beaches. All of them are different. Down on the south coast near Canberra the beaches have big waves that come crashing onto the sand. That's because they are open to the big swells from the Tasman Sea. Queensland beaches are different. Once you get north of the Sunshine Coast, the swells are mostly blocked by Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Here are two beaches that Unka Ray and Aunty Libby took me to. The top one is at Hervey Bay. It is very calm because it is right in the area protected by Fraser Island. At the right time of year you can see whales swimming close to the beaches here. The bottom one is at Bargara, near Bundaberg. There are more waves here because it is further north and swells can reach it around the top of the island. The rock walls on the beach are called groynes and they are there to stop the sand being washed away. Isn't it great that at most beaches there are places just right for small bears to sit and watch the action. Dry enough and far enough out of the sand to keep Mum happy (although I would rather be down in the waves and the sand), and high enough to keep sensitive bear paws away from those dastardly crabs. The other great thing about beaches is that you often find those other great things, lighthouses, close by. Even on cloudy and miserable days, I love beaches.